Vintage Pete

QUOTE: I'm right into mid century stuff,

I discovered 'The Best of Everything' (1959) by accident and thought "what's going on? everything is in teal-green!" -- including brief shot of kitchen appliances, and rare W.E. phone in 'Mediterranean Blue' (actually more like teal green!) Hope Lange - who looks like Grace Kelly - is also easy on the eye as she also later appears with Elvis in 'Wild in the Country' (1961), also starring Tuesday Weld who never looked better!

In that era Green here was very prominent especially in Government; Leading to the running gag along the lines "that in gov departments they rang a bell around every 15 min and if it did not move it was painted green".

Mid century.

Ive been collecting it and living it for many years.
But the wildest most amazing mid century items can be found surprisingly in the eastern block in abundance.
Those in the know sell it to westerners through the non english ebay sites from Germany back towards eastern block , Poland etc etc.
They know westerners want it and pay big money for it,but as their English is not the best they just list all the items as mid century.
Ive been collecting it now for 20 years and Ive never seen anther place on earth where its in abundance like there! If you get a chance go visit those ebay non english sites around that area by just using the key word mid century and you will the most amazing stuff still there and still in abundance.

Are you a member of that usa site, I think its called Retro Ranch?
I use to do write ups on some of my stuff and put it on that site , but not for a 3 years now.

Pete

Ian Robertson

QUOTE: To Kill a Mockingbird

Good film, starring Gregory Peck.

Peck was also in Nevil Shute's 'On the Beach' (1959) - worth it for the on-location views around 1950's Melbourne!

Vintage Pete

QUOTE: mid century items can be found surprisingly in the eastern block

I picked up most of my 'mid-century' items in the 1980's & early 90's when people hated the stuff
Here's my 50's 'Sputnik light' (at end of video clip running 50% dimmed) (but appears bright on camera)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCPmHR1VMgQ

New vista.
Hello,
Yes that would of been the time to buy it. I think your a bit older than me I'm 49. The boom started in Europe, but it was well under way by the 90s in oz
I started to buy it in 2001 and I loved it so much I started a mid century business here in sydney. The business grew very fast and did very well.
I was very happy and in my element as a collector and selling it too. But these days I'm only a collector and I dont sell it anymore,,"life changes"
I have a huge collection of it and no modern items in the house only mid century stuff and most is in the storage unit at the moment.
Sputnik lights can still be found in oz though. Your standing lamp is very nice ! A good standing lamp in oz will bring good money, depending on the Anodized colour.
If the colour is gold and in good condition it would bring about 700 to 800 .
Sunburst clocks , originals only 300 to 500 for a large size and the most sought after being Teak.
But bargains can still be out of town a bit, I picked up a original Herman Millar lounge chair 1956 off the throw outs a while back, their much rarer here than in the states and bring about 2k. I actually dont like them so I sold that one off,but in a small town just out of sydney I bought a Atomic lounge in mint condition with the original fabric for 70 bucks !!!!! I amost had panic attacks trying to get it in the car and get out of there as fast as I could ! The lounge is worth more than my car.
Most of my collection is from about 56 to 62 I dont go into the later 60s much and tend to sell those bits off of as their in high demand and I prefer the 56 to 62 for myself. But its all been great fun collecting it and living in the Era in the modern world.
You have some nice radios in your clip!! I have some ,but I'm more into vintage TVs.
Pete


Oh and back to movie topic.
In the Heat of the night ,,is one of my favourite movies.
Its just great!

Pollyanna

A Hard Day's Night 1964
Tom Jones 1963
The Guns of Navarone 1961
A Shot in the Dark 1964
Goldfinger 1964
From Russia with Love 1963
Lawrence of Arabia 1962
Bedazzled 1968
The Wrong Box 1966
The Great Escape 1963

This list is just off the top of my head.
There are many others I like just as much

Some good ones there I had not thought of guys!
Hard days night , why didnt I remember that one!

City of fear
The day the Earth stood still
Time machine.
War of the worlds
They're a weird mob

Shows
Time Tunnel.
Band stand.
Outer limits
The Avengers
The Saint.
Homicide

Pete

They're a Weird Mob is a great time capsule of Australia in the 60's and how outsider's perceive us.
Terrific cameo from Graham Kennedy as the Melbournian lost in Sydney.

Also like Time Tunnel, The Avengers (Mrs Peel was lovely!) and The Saint.

Would like to see the The Prisoner with Patrick McGoohan.

Alway's liked Homicide, it was on after school in the 70's, lots of familiar Australian landscapes and accent's. Great cars as well.

They're a Weird Mob is a great time capsule of Australia in the 60's

I screened that for an old Italian guy who is a retired builder. He was so chuffed at the scenes on the building site showing how things used to be done back when he was a brickie's labourer, that he went out and bought a DVD copy for himself to screen for his grandchildren.

About a month ago I was wondering were that house was they built, I thought it was Carlingford, but it turns out it was Greenacre. The chinese mans house in the movie who lived next door in a red brick house is still there.
Pete

128 Greenacre Rd, today:

https://www.google.com.au/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x6b12bc0a58c2d509%3A0xafc4e92682d21e0a&hl=en-AU

"The Red Shoes"(1948)[UK]-Technicolour-1.37:1-

"Homicide" is technically interesting, all the early stuff at least (if not all) was kinescoped. Made at GTV7 in Melbourne on a tiny budget, the early episodes had a title sequence showing some really frantic wheel turning in the XP Falcon pursuit car. Absolute scream! Falcons had about 20 turns lock to lock in those days!

Another kinescoped series is "Hancock's Half Hour" from the UK. 405 line kinescopes! Best episode IMO is "12 Angry Men", Hancock's very amusing take on the popular stage show and movie.

Aussie movies, a bit newer:

"Malcolm" - I love the single seater tram and the Honda Zot that splits in half down the middle! Not to mention the period inner eastern subs Melbourne views.

And of course, The Castle and its Rob Sitch made successor about the Apollo 11 moon landing, The Dish. Great adaptation of true story and amazing music score. Now, if only they hadn't lost those tapes of the raw signal from the moon. All we have left now from the moon went through an optical standards converter, losing a lot of quality.

Pete, you'll see your little Astor in The Dish. The one you pulled the CRT from.
Other working vintage TVs were a couple of 79-23 Krieslers and a 1957 vintage Admiral. I like the fact that actual period footage was used, shot off the actual period TVs, not faked.
Lots of period cars too. Listen to the iconic sound of a grey motor in an EJ Holden!